1. My Life with Emily

2. Career Information
I am a bus driver, I provide transportation to passengers between regions or within metropolitan areas.
You must have a “satisfactory” driving record, to be a bus driver. Must be licensed to operate a bus. Licensing requirements depend on the state.
Pros: Very economical.
Cons: Lots of stops. No bathrooms. Have to deal with loud and obnoxious people.
My salary is $19,159, which is the median expected salary for a typical Bus Driver. (not good at all) (:
I would not go into this field, because driving a bus for hours throughout the day, DOESN’T excite me one bit.
I learned that this job, would not help you pay your bills. My check was only $500 every 2 weeks. If it wasn’t for Emily and her high paying job, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with my bills, or have so many TV’s in our home.

3. Apartment Information
Complex Name: The Crossings at Buena Vista
Location: Buena Vista
Description: has total units with 244. The property type is obviously an apartment.
Includes: Air condition, cable/satellite, carpet, ceiling fan, closets, dishwasher, garbage disposal, fridge, and a washer/dryer.
Doesn’t include: Stove, Microwave, Couch and TV. (Them not providing us TV’s, is more than okay..because we ended up buying WAY MORE than enough.)
Pros: Not stuck with it. They do your maintenance. They already provide you with some utilities.
Cons: Annoying neighbors. Can’t paint. Don’t have privacy. No yard.
Monthly Payment: $533.50
It was not difficult to find an apartment to rent, because I wasn’t here that day, therefore I didn’t do it.

4. Weekly Expenses Information
Total Groceries: $ 4,364
Total Gasoline: $5,929
Total Other Purchases: $11,554
An example of sales tax: Let’s say you go to the mall and you are interested in a certain pair of ear rings. You look at the price tag and it reads $ We all know that doesn’t include the tax. Sales tax in Michigan is 6%. In order to figure out what the amount of sales tax is, you have to first turn the percentage into a decimal by moving the decimal two places to the left. Than you multiply by .06. You’ll than get the amount of sales tax which would be $2.10. To find out the total cost of the pair ear rings, you’ll than have to add $2.10 to the original price of $ Which will give you a grand total of $37.06
It’s important to save money, because you never know what could happen. You get your paycheck, than pay your bills, and even though it may seem like you have a lot left over. Doesn’t mean you should go out and blow it on things you don’t even need. Buying things for yourself isn’t a bad thing, but you also have to be responsible and think of the possibilities. Things could go wrong with your car, your home, or even your health. So if you go out and blow your money, instead of putting an amount of money to the side, you won’t have a way to fix any problems that could come up. Financially.

5. Bills Information Cable Bill: $55.99 per month.
Utilities Bill: $78.14 per month.
Telephone Bill (For both): $52.65 per month.
It was extremely easy to keep track of when the bills are due. Paychecks were always given to us every other Tuesday, until recently we received paychecks two Tuesdays in a row. MORE MONEY!
In order to keep track of bills in the future, would be to write on my calendar what’s due on what day. Exactly what you had us do in class. Being organized and on top of things, makes life so much easier, to an extent.

6. Purchasing a Car Make & Model & Year: 2011 BMW Gran Turismo Hatchback.
Color: Black.
Pros: Smooth and powerful engines. Roomy and sublime seats.
Cons: Stiffer ride than a true luxury car, not as cargo-friendly as some wagons, pricey for the segment.
Consumers Review:
Match %: 94.7%
Total Price: $60,139.84
Monthly Payments: $1,036.19
Looking for a vehicle with good gas mileage, was the most important thing.
The loan process was very simple. The amount of our car was $60, Our down payment was $9, Subtracted those two numbers to get the amount financed, which was $51, The interest rate is 8%.
To figure out the monthly payments, we had to divide $51, by 100, than with that, we multiplied it by (2.03) which gets our monthly payment of $1,

7. Purchasing a House Price: $144,900
Location: 2625 Granada Lane Saginaw MI 48603
Description: City, 0.31 acres. Lots of trees, plants. And has a back patio.
Monthly mortgage payments: $400.27
It was much easier to find a house, because I knew that when buying a house, it’s actually mine...more than an apartment. Also, I wasn’t here to look for an apartment, Emily was all on her own.
If needed to move in a hurry, renting an apartment would be a lot faster. Buying a house takes time, and you have much many more costs to figure out before you can move in.
Pros: Once an owner, always an owner. Equity increased by paying your monthly payments, and your home may also appreciate in value over time.
Cons: There are no guarantees even if you work hard at maintaining your home, property values can drop.
I’d much rather buy a house, than rent a house. When I have the opportunity to get out there in the future, I’d like to live in a home knowing that it’s mine for the most part. Renting a house wouldn’t be such a pleasure, because you can’t paint and re-do the things you want.

8. Insurance
Homeowner’s insurance protects you from financial loss if your home is damaged or destroyed, a theft occurs, or you face certain types of medical or liability claims.
Homeowner’s insurance prices vary based on several factors, including the age of the home, what the house is made of, and the home’s proximity to a fire station.
The deductible amount also affects the insurance premium.
Auto insurance is a means of protecting you and others in the event of an accident, theft, etc.
It’s required by nearly every state. An automobile accident can be financially devastating if it involves serious injuries and/or damage to the vehicles.
Carrying auto insurance, drivers protect themselves and others from bearing the burden of unexpected costs due to an accident, vandalism or fire.

9. Bank/Checking Account
Total remaining in account: $8,025.83
Writing checks and keeping records isn’t stressful, other than writing in cursive.
Keeping records of how much money you spend, and keeping records of when you pay your bills let’s you know that you’re on top of things. Let’s you know how much money you have left over, to go spend it on what you want. Not what you need.

10. Personal Budget
I’m spending the most on other purchases, things that we want. Not need.
I’m spending the least on homeowner’s insurance.
The percentage I’m able to save is 58.9%
What we can cut from our expenses is the other purchases. No need to buy a ton of TV’s, eat at a restaurant all the time, or get so many hair cuts. (:

11. What I Learned
What I’ve learned from this project, is that growing up you have way more responsibilities. It’s exciting to know that you have your own home, your own car, etc. Because not to long ago I went out and got my own place, and I currently have to pay for my own car, and yes it makes me feel accomplished, and yes it’s nice not having to depend on other people. But of course it gets difficult at times.
What I will use in my future, is to have my own calendar and write when my bills are due. That makes everything much easier and way more organized. Having the calendar was the most helpful as well.
For you to make the project better next year, would be to have more ideas for weekly expenses. Emily and I ended up with more than enough TV’s, and way to many hair cuts.

12. Resources